how to avoid probate

What do you care what Suze Orman says?? This is a website where questions get answered by actual licensed lawyers who give legal advice. Not by some celebrity who gives financial advice.  If you want to avoid probate, you can put your assets into a trust. However, if a trust beneficiary decides to contest the distribution of the trust assets, settling the trust can be just as time consuming and expensive as submitting a will for probate. The only way to know what is an appropriate estate planning strategy for you is to sit down with a lawyer (not with Suze Orman) and discuss your full situation.  Sometimes trusts are the answer, and sometimes they are a waste of money.